| The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing | |
| Author: | Marilyn Durham |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Novel |
| Publisher: | Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich |
| Release Date: | 1972 |
| Media Type: | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages: | 246 p. (hardcover edition) |
| Oclc: | 323879 |
The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing is a novel written by Marilyn Durham first published in 1972.
The novel is set in the American West in the 1880s, but is not written in a genre style. It is the story of Jay, a man of the West, and his offbeat relationship with Catherine, a woman from the East who is fleeing an unhappy marriage. Jay kidnaps Catherine on his way to rob a train and together they travel through the Wyoming Territory. Catherine eventually discovers that Jay is haunted by the murder of his wife, a Shoshone Indian named Cat Dancing, and his actions after the murder. Pursued by Catherine's husband and a railroad agent, Catherine and Jay fall in love.
The novel, Durham's first, became a best seller, and was generally praised by reviewers for its deft character studies as well as its effortlessly entertaining style.[1]
See main article: The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (film). In 1973, the film version of the novel was released. Directed by Richard C. Sarafian and produced by Martin Poll,[2] The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing starred Burt Reynolds and British actress Sarah Miles. It would be Reynolds' first romantic movie.[3] Many who regarded the novel highly were disappointed by its formulaic Hollywood treatment in the movie.[4]